Unsaturated ether-cellulose derivative and the process of making same



Patented Jan.- 28, 1941 2,415,041 1 2,415,041 UNSA-TURATED ETHER-CELLULOSE DERIV ATIVE AND SAME John B. Rust,

THE PROCESS OF West Orange, N. 1., assignor to Montclair Research Corporation, a corporation Y of New Jersey No Drawing. Application March 23, 1944, Serial No. 527,830

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to cellulose derivatives and to the process of making same. It is an object of this invention to provide derivatives of cellulose which are soluble in dilute alkalles.

It is a further object of this invention to make available cellulose derivatives which are useful as textile sizing compositions.

It is an object-of this invention to provide R may be hydrogen. These unsaturated ethers belong to the general class represented by the formula:

RI RoH=d(cH,),.oa"

where n is a whole number selected from and 1,

where R, R and R" are monovalent organic radicals as noted above, and where R and R, be-

sides being monovalent organic radicals, may

washand laundering-fast cellulosic textile also be hydrogen. Such compounds do not desizes. pend upon the presence of halogen in the mole.- It is a further object to provide cellulose decule in order to get reaction with alkali cellulose. rivatives which may be dissolved in alkali solu- Irr the reaction of the present invention, it tion and spun into fibers in a suitable precipitatis suggested that the following reaction may ocing bath for the production of artificial silk or cur. Representing cellulose as Cell-OH: precipitated in the form of film or foils. It is R also an object of this invention to provide paper 1 sizing and modifying agents Coll-OH RC H=COR cell-o-orr-on-o R Other objects and advantages will become apand parent from th more detailed description of the R inventiorilgiven hereinafter. Such detailed de- I H I H scriptioh should not be construed as limiting, but Gen-0H RCH=CCHOR CGWOTCH'CH'CHTOR only by Way o \eXplanatiOn and illustration, Since The above is given by way of possible explananllmelous Variations may be ,mede thOSe tion only and should not be construed as limiting, skilled in the art without departing from the since 1 d t wish t b i t d b any t Scope and pirit of the present invention. retical explanation of the reaction of the pres- The derivatives of the present invention may ent invention. be formed by the reaction of an alkali cellulose The cellulose derivatives are soluble in alkalies, derivative, as for instance, soda cellulose, potash ith cooling r not, according to the number and cellulose, lithium cellulose, qua y m kind of substituted groups. Thus, I may make um Cellu os and t e e wi h u a e a derivative which is insoluble in alkali at ordiethers. The reaction may be effected in the cold, nary temperatures t which is reedny Soluble in some instances, and in others by the applicab li the alkali suspension to about 0 (1, tion of heat- Such solutions are valuable as textile sizing As instances of unsaturated ethers which may agents. The solutions, usually of about 1% to be us in the p ocess of the present invention 10% strength, are applied to cotton, linen, or are divinyl ether, diallyl ether, dimethallyl ether, rayon goods on a, padder, squeezed, dried and 00- vinyl ethyl ether, Vinyl D py t e Vinyl amyl agulated by using a solution of an acid, acid salt, e he yl D y e allyl ethyl ether, ally! or a precipitating concentrated salt solution. butyl ether, d the like- I may first react 40 The treated textile is washed thoroughly after lulose with sod um hyd for instance, coagulating and then dried. A firm hand is imform Soda cel ulose After aging the Soda celluparted to the fabric which is resistant to launlose to a satisfact ry d as xp a dering and the ordinary cleansing agents. The 'low, it is mixed with cooling with the unsaturated finish may be applied at practically any conether. Reaction is effected either in the cold or yenient, stage of processing such as before kier the reaction mixture is allowed towarm up and b ilin before dyeing and the like. further heating applied. Thus the unsaturated Cellulose in its various forms may be used in ethers of the present invention y be D the present invention. However, after forming sented by: the alkali or quaternary ammonium cellulose, I

- 1 d prefer to age it to secure some controlled degradatlon until the desired viscosity is obtained. cwofln RCIICH CH'HOR The viscosity may be varied both by using differwhere R, R and R" may be alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, ent forms and sources of cellulose, by introducaralkyl, oleilnyl, alkynyl, and the like, or R and ing more or less reactant and by degrading the cellulose to a greater or lesser degree.

' A white fibrous material was In the reaction of the present invention, I. may use inert diluents if desired such as ethylene dichloride, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, ethyl ether, heptane, and the like. When making the alkali cellulose, concentrations of from 15% to 50% of alkali may be used although greater or lesser concentrations can be employed. I usually prefer to employ concentrations of about 30% to 40%. This is also true of the quaternary ammonium hydroxides. When using these latter materials. solution of the cellulose sometimes occurs. In such cases, the solutions may be diluted with alkali metal hydroxide solutions before reaction. Such quaternary ammonium hydroxidesmay be trimethyi benzyl ammonium hydroxide, tetraethyl ammonium hydroxide, diethyl dipropyl ammonium hydroxide, diethyl piperidinium hydroxide, methyl pyridinium hydroxide, and the like.

The proportions of reactants may be varied within very large limits of, for example, from to about 100% of the cellulose. For several reasons it maybe desirable to use an excess of unsaturated ether. A greater proportion of unsaturated ether may be used to accelerate the reaction, which. may then be terminated before completion, if desired.

As well as utilizing the unsaturated ethers given above, I may also use unsaturated ethers substituted with negative groups according to the general formulas:

Rcn=d-o-R" and u orr=( :-our-o it" where R and R may be, besides allwl, aryl, etc., cyano, carboxy, carbalkoxy, aldehydo, acyl and the like.

Therefore, the process of the present inventionconsists 'in allowin cellulose to react with an excess of a to 50% (preferably about 30% to Example 2.68 contained 15 part 30 sodium hydr mixed with 7.5 p ture was then all C. during which parts of soda cellulose, which s of cellulose and 53 parts of oxide solution, were intimately owed to react for 3 hours at 70 period the material was stirred every half hour. At the end of the reaction period the product was acidified with acetic acid, filtered and washed.v The white fiufi'y cellulose derivative thus formed was soluble in sodium hydroxide solutions on cooling.

Example 3.A solution of the dimethallyl ether cellulose derivative described in'Example l was made by mixing 5 parts of dimethallyl ether-cellulose with 30 parts of 33% aqueous sodium hydroxide, parts of water and 30 parts of crushed ice. On stirring a smooth suspension was obtained which was relatively non-viscous at room temperature.

, Example 4.A solution was made of the diallyl ether cellulose of Example 2 as follows: 20 parts of diallyl ether cellulose derivative was mixed with 120 parts of 30% sodium hydroxide solution, 160 parts of water, and 120 parts of crushed ice. on stirring a clear smooth solution was formed. The solution was permitted to come to room temperature and was found to be of medium viscosity.

Example 5.-66.5 parts of soda cellulose containing 15 parts ofcellulose, 15.5 parts of sodium hydroxide and 36 parts of water was mixed with 30 parts of snow and 7.5 parts of divinyl ether. The mixture was allowed to come to room temperature'and thereafter it was kept in a water bath at 70C. for 1 hour, stirring frequently during both periods. The mixture was then diluted with l parts of watergand acidified with glacial acetic acid. After this the material was washed with water and acetone and dried at room temperature. A white fibrous product was obtained 40%) aqueous solution of an alkali such as sodium hydroxide to form alkali cellulose. 'The amount of alkali amounts to from 3 to about 8 moles per CsHioOs group of cellulose. To this mixture is then added from 5% to about 100% (based on dry cellulose) of an unsaturated ether asabove defined and reacted for a period of from 1 to about 5 hours. The reaction temperature is between ice temperature and boiling, higher tem peratures being employed when a degraded prodnot (that is, one producing a lower viscosity) is desired, but in any case it is desirable to start the reaction at low temperatures. Afterwards the reaction mixture is acidified, whereby the product is coagulated and can be filtered, washed and dried. The dried product is capable of dissolving in dilute aqueous alkaiies to form a homogeneous solution useful particularly as a wash-fast size for fabrics.

The following examples are given to illustrate so the products and processes of the present invention. All proportions are in parts by weight.

Example 1.63 parts of soda cellulose containing-15 parts of cellulose and 48 parts of 33% aqueous sodium hydroxide were mixed with 7.5 as

parts of dimethallyl ether. The mixture was thoroughly homogenized and reacted for 3 hours at C. At the end of this period water was added to the reaction product. The suspension was then acidified with glacial acetic acid and filtered. The cellulose derivative was washed with water and acetone and dried at room temperature. obtained in this way which was soluble in dilute aqueous sodium hydroxide.

. which is soluble in cold lde.

Example 6.-A solution was made by dissolving 10 parts of divinyl ether cellulose in 60 parts of 30% sodium hydroxide, parts of water, and 60 parts of crushed ice. The components were thoroughly mixed. When the solution had attained room temperature, a very viscous, smooth dispersion had formed.

I claim: 1. A cellulose derivative soluble in dilute aqueous alkali solutions comprising the reaction prodnot of alkali cellulose with an unsaturated ether of the formula:

aqueous sodium hydroxwhere n is a whole number selected from 0 and l, where R" is selected from the class consisting of alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, olefinyl, alkynyl, cyano, carboxy, carbalkoxy, aldehydo and acyl groups and where R and R are selected from the class consisting of hydrogen and the groups corresponding to R". k

2. A cellulose derivative soluble in dilute aqueous alkali solutions comprising the coagulated, washed and dried reaction product of soda cellulosewith an unsaturated ether of the formula:

acn=dom .-o-x" I where n is a whole number selected from 0 and 1, .where R" is selected from the class consisting of alkyl. aryl, alkaryl, aralkyi, olefinyl, alkynyl, cyano, carboxy, carbalkoxy, aldehydo and acyl group and where R and R are selccted 'from arts of diallyl ether. The mixthe class consisting of hydrogen and the groups corresponding to R"; the unsaturated ether'being reacted in the proportions of 5% to about 100% of the cellulose and with the soda cellulose being prepared from a 30% to 40% solution of sodium hydroxide with from 3 to 8 moles of NaOH per CaHmOs group of cellulose.

3. A cellulose derivative soluble in dilute aqueous alkali solutions comprising the reaction product of dimethallyl ether and alkali cellulose.

4. A cellulose derivative soluble in dilute aqueous alkali solutions comprising the reaction product of diallyl ether and alkali cellulose.

5. A cellulose derivative soluble in dilute aqueous alkali solutions comprising the reaction product or divinyl ether and alkali cellulose.

6. A solution of the product of claim 1 in dilute aqueous alkali.

'7. The process of making a cellulose derivative which is soluble in dilute aqueousalkali solutions which comprises reacting an alkali cellulose with an unsaturated ether of the formula:

RcH=ccH,).-0-R" y where n is a whole number selected from 0 and 1, where R" is selected from the olass'consisting of alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, olefinyl, alkynyl, cyano, carboxy, carbalkoxy, aldehydo and acyl groups and where R and R are selected from the class consisting of hydrogen and the groups corresponding to R".

8. The process of making a cellulose derivative which is soluble in dilute aqueous alkali solutions which comprises reacting at a temperature between ice temperature and boiling. a soda cellulose and an unsaturated ether of the formula acn=c-(cm).-o-R' where n is a whole number selected from 0 and l, where R" is selected from the class consisting of alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, olefinyl, alkynyl, cyano, carboxy, carbalkoxy, aldehyde and acyl groups and where R and R are selected from the class consisting 0! hydrogen and the groups corresponding to R"; the amount of unsaturated ether being from 5 to about 100% of the cellulose and the soda cellulose being prepared from a 30% to 40% solution of sodium hydroxide with from 3 to 8 moles of NaOI-I per CeHroOs group of cellulose; and thereafter coagulating the reaction and recovering the same by filtering, washing and drymg.

9. The process of making a cellulose derivative- 

